Campers, ages 11-13, will work as a team to solve mysteries, overcome obstacles, and hunt for clues as they explore the Rancho, compare old and new, and discover more about themselves and others in a wholesome and enriching environment that pushes them to play outside and grows their sense of adventure. Where else would preteens be encouraged not only to stop and smell the roses, but to look under them for daily clues that might help them solve the week-long mystery?

The camp hours are 10am-2pm daily

The cost is $100 per participant

Registration Now Open – Spaces are Limited

Call 562-206-2040 to reserve a spot

Rancho
Adventure Program

This program is offered select Thursday afternoonsthroughout the school year, starting at 4:00 p.m.

Please call for reservations for a group of 8-20. Fee is $3/child.

Program lasts approximately 90 minutes.

Rancho Los Cerritos has developed a new program for youth groups in the greater Long Beach area. This enrichment opportunity will expose youngsters to early California and Long Beach history in an entertaining and educational manner.

According to Rancho Los Cerritos Education Director Dr. Meighan Maguire, "The Rancho Adventure Program's engaging tour format--which adds historic chores and games to a fast-paced tour of the site's historic adobe house and gardens--will appeal to young visitors and allow them to better understand what daily life was like on a 19th century California rancho."

The Rancho Adventure Program is
staffed in part by high-school students. "Our teen volunteers
are enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge with scout
groups, home schools, after-school clubs, and other youth groups
interested in local history," Dr. Maguire said.

Adobe Days Revisited, an award-winning school program for local fourth-graders, supplements the state history curriculum with an educational adventure at one of California's best preserved 19th century ranchos!

When students arrive at the Rancho, they are asked to step back in time, to the year 1878, when the Bixby family operated a sheep ranch here. As our young guests tour the site and participate in various hands-on activities, their exposure to and appreciation of life in 19th century rural California is extended far beyond what they might learn from their textbook.

Jointly created by Rancho Los Cerritos and the Long Beach Unified School District, Adobe Days Revisited can accommodate up to 72 fourth-grade students per day. Tour groups are expected to arrive at the Rancho by 9:20 a.m. Rancho Los Cerritos has outdoor picnic tables, where students can enjoy their bag lunches after the tour.

This
teacher kit provides a rich understanding of daily life on one of
Southern California's great cattle ranches during the 1840s. The
"Handling History Curriculum Guide" includes five integrated,
comprehensive units that focus on the daily activities or rancheros,
ranch workers and their families at Rancho Los Cerritos during the
1840s, as well as the factors that helped speed the demise of the
cattle ranching era in Southern California.

KIT #2

"Through
Children's Eyes: Rancho Life with
Harry and Sarah"

This
unique educational outreach kit dramatically
enhances student understanding of daily
life on a nineteenth century Southern California Sheep ranch. By
looking through the eyes of the rancho children-Harry & Sarah
Bixby-students will learn about daily work and workers, domestic
lifestyles, and the similarities and differences between
their
own lives and those of the Bixby family. "Through Children's Eyes"
includes detailed lesson plans, creative classroom activities, a
video, and a wide selection of artifacts
and photographs. These provide classroom teachers with the tools
they need to present
interactive explorations of California's ranching history during the
1870s period.

After
attending a training session, you will be eligible to borrow
"Handling History" or "Through Children's Eyes." 4th grade teachers who would like to
borrow this kit should contact the Rancho's Education Department
at 562-206-2040.

Speakers Bureau ProgramsSpeakers Bureau programs are available free of charge to
groups of ten or more who meet within a reasonable driving
distance of the Rancho. A minimum of two weeks advance notice is
needed. To book a speaker, please contact the Rancho office at
562-206-2040.

Rancho Los Cerritos offers a variety of exciting speakers for
your group's next program or meeting. Our informed presenters
bring to life a bygone era with vivid images and lively dialog.
Each program covers a different aspect of the Rancho:

Rancho Los Cerritos: The Roots of Long Beach(slides, 45 minutes). Trace the history of Rancho Los Cerritos
from its origins as a Spanish land grant to its transformation
into a historic site. This presentation touches upon the history
of the Rancho, our current educational programs, and our plans
for the future.

Rancho Los Cerritos: A Brief Overview(slides, 20
minutes). Find out why Rancho Los Cerritos is one of southern
California's most important historic sites. This short presentation
is designed for community-based groups that want to learn more about
one of Long Beach's cultural treasures.

Return to Adobe Days: Memoir of a California Girl
(slides & audio, 25 minutes). Explore early California through the
eyes of Sarah Bixby Smith, who often visited the Rancho in the late
19th century as a young girl. In this presentation, Sarah's colorful
words are paired with striking images of Rancho Los Cerritos during
the 1870s.

All in the Families: A Tale of Rancho Los Cerritos(slides, 30 minutes). Rancho Los Cerritos was home to three
prominent families between the 1840s and 1940s. Learn what brought
these families out west, and discover how their efforts helped shape
the destiny of Long Beach and other surrounding communities.

California Native Plants of Rancho Los Cerritos(slides,
40 minutes). This informative presentation discusses the native
plants, while also calling attention to some of our earliest
botanical immigrants. Discover how early settlers used these plants
in their daily lives.

The Gardens of Rancho Los Cerritos (slides, 30 minutes).
Rancho Los Cerritos was home to one of the earliest private gardens
in southern California. Learn about the plants introduced in the
1850s by John Temple, who built the adobe. Trace the garden's
subsequent evolution, including the major redesign by landscape
architect Ralph Cornell, in 1931. Discover our plans for maintaining
and restoring these beautiful gardens.

Voices from the Past(video, 18 minutes). Experience the
sights and sounds of early California as your group explores the
history of the Rancho through various eyes: a Chinese cook, an Irish
foreman, a Mexican vaquero, and Mr. & Mrs. Jotham Bixby.